Short Film Reviews: Fathers

Father by Law:

A complicated father is the first kind of father to be explored in this list. Arriving an hour late for her wedding, Dale (William Russ) is upset to learn that his daughter Liz (Annie Clark) would rather do the father-daughter dance with her stepfather Steve (Andrew Hamrick). Will Dale be able to put aside his issues and reconcile with Liz? Or is it too late to repair the damage? Father by Law is a slow-boiled, straightforward family drama anchored by a strong cast playing strong characters. William Russ and Annie Clark lead the pack as a loving but problematic father and his conflicted daughter. Clark makes it easy to sympathize with Liz as her father's arrival puts a damper on her special day. Russ, meanwhile, seamlessly alternates between making Dale pitiable and making him as infuriating to the viewer as he is to Liz and her mother.

For half of the movie, Dale is defined by his inability to stop making the wedding all about himself. While he has a right to be upset at Helen for her role in making him late to the wedding, his contempt towards the welcoming Steve and his dismissal of Liz's hurt feelings are inexcusable. It's in the second half of the film that Dale begins shedding this part of his personality, but even then, it may be too little too late for some viewers. Regardless, Russ does great work with Dale's character arc and shares chemistry with Clark as an estranged father-daughter duo. Andrew Hamrick and Mike Bash are both incredibly likable as Liz's stepfather Steve and her new husband Eddie respectively, with their best moments being their characters' interactions with Dale. Lastly, Antonia Jones gives a solid performance as Liz's mother Helen, who is shown to be just as prone to selfishness as her ex-husband. While she may care about Liz, her attempt at keeping Dale away from the wedding ends up doing more harm than good.

Helen's behavior fits right in with Father by Law's well-written depiction of a dysfunctional family of divorce. The nuanced characters are compelling, the simpler ones are entirely sympathetic, and the actors bring them all to life. While it may not be as grand as an extravagant wedding ceremony, Father by Law has enough of its own kind of appeal to make it a worthwhile exploration of love, family, and self-growth.

Score: 7 out of 10 yellow Prom dresses.

Are We Listening?:

Doug (Andrew Sensenig) is as much of a troubled father as Dale, but for a much more poignant reason. It's over a simple dinner with his family that his inner turmoil finally spills over and causes him to blow up. Will faith and love be enough to fix what's been broken? Like Father by Law, Are We Listening? slowly builds up to the heart of its story. With the reason for Doug's aloofness only being alluded to briefly, the first half of the film depicts an average family dinner complete with the average familial conversations and disagreements. That makes the moment when Doug finally snaps and reveals what's been weighing on him very impactful.

Andrew Sensenig (who also wrote and directed the film) gives a great lead performance and his four co-stars are all believable in their roles as members of a typical suburban family whose lives have been rocked by tragedy. In a similar vein to Father by Law's Dale, Doug's troubles stem from his self-centered belief that he's the only person in his family affected by their loss. For some, Doug's eleventh-hour turnabout might not be enough to soothe the burn left by Doug cruelly lashing out at his family, especially since he isn't shown making amends to them by the movie's end. But between the steady pacing, authentic writing, and stellar acting, Are We Listening? would still make for good back-to-back viewing alongside A Prayer--what with both films being family dramas containing religious messaging that avoids feeling alienating or sanctimonious.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 purple crosses.

For Jane:

Real-life father-daughter duo Jared and Holland Stull star in this lighthearted short film. The two play Michael Schenk and his daughter Jane, with the movie following the pair as they work to find out the identity of the secret admirer who's been leaving flowers and other gifts for Jane on the front porch. It's a short and simple tale that, while not unique, was clearly made with a lot of love. The uncomplicated story moves at a pace that keeps it from growing dull and ends with a cute twist. While their performances aren't perfect, Holland and Jared Stull (unsurprisingly) share realistic father-daughter chemistry that makes it easy to love both their characters.

Jane is your average pretty but shy teen while Michael is a refreshingly wholesome father in a film that could've easily made him a toxic archetype. Instead, Michael is a good father through and through. He loves and respects Jane, shares in her happiness about the secret admirer and her eagerness to find out who it is, and his protectiveness never crosses the line into policing his daughter's life. Michael is the first father on this list to come without any troubling hang-ups, with his endearing personality (among other things) bringing heartwarming flavor to For Jane's thin plot.

Score: 6.5 out of 10 pink hand fans.

A Father's Day:

Now for a pair of fatherhood-themed horror movies. The first one takes place during a zombie apocalypse, with George (Garth Maunders) having an unconventional reunion with his young daughter Abi (Hazel Gibson). A Father's Day fires on all cylinders in regards to writing, acting, and aesthetics. The zombie makeup is incredible and is complemented perfectly by Garth Maunders and Hazel Gibson's dedication to portraying a zombie's physicality. They're also great when it comes to silently depicting their characters' emotions, leaving no doubt that traces of humanity--as well as their love for one another--still linger within George and Abi.

Christopher Jordan and Isobel Steele also do fine work as Richard and Chloe, another father-daughter duo whose lives intersect with George and Abi's in a big way. The plot moves at just the right speed to keep you invested and on the edge of your seat, with the intense climax ending A Father's Day on a high note. As long as you're not put off by some relatively mild blood and gore, this surprisingly heartfelt zombie flick is the perfect Father's Day present for all the sci-fi-loving dads out there.

Score: 10 out of 10 inhaler necklaces.

Shadow:

False advertising does this by-the-book horror short no favors. The IMDb and Crypt TV synopses suggest a deeper story about a father's near-death experience attracting the attention of a malevolent entity, driving him to fight to protect his family. Instead, we just follow that man's wife Nat (Valeska Miller) as she awakens to find her son Gavin (Nathaniel Howdeshell) being led to the basement by said malevolent entity. It's a bare-bones ghost story in which the more compelling plot promised in the aforementioned synopses is only briefly hinted at by a single line of dialogue. Otherwise, Shadow has nothing original going for it. What keeps it from falling further down the scoring range is the smooth pacing, appropriately ominous visuals, and Valeska Miller's serviceable lead performance. Shadow isn't the shiniest feature on this list and it's definitely not as fatherhood-centric as the plot summary makes it sound. But in the grand scheme of things, it's still not the worst horror short to give 3 minutes of your time.

Score: 4 out of 10 buzzing lightbulbs.

Light My Fire:

To bookend this list with two Omeleto short films, we conclude with a tale of a father's vengeance and the cycle of violence. It's the 4th of July, but celebration is the last thing on Miles' (Ed Moran) mind. Instead of grilling burgers or setting off fireworks, Miles is on his way to confront his daughter's abusive boyfriend. But the confrontation doesn't go the way he expects it to. Much like a firework, Light My Fire hits hard and fast before segueing into a cooldown of a finale. When we first meet Miles, he's cursing up a storm as he speeds over to Clark's house to confront him for hitting Lucy. But when he gets there and comes face to face with Clark's father Roy, his machismo starts to dissipate. By the time he sees firsthand why Clark acts the way he does, his burning desire for retribution has vanished completely.

It's a transformation that Ed Moran works wonders with as Miles' confrontation with Clark brings some uncomfortable truths to light. Colin Walker matches wits with Moran as the hotheaded Roy, with the two working with director Bobb Barito and an unnerving dog to create an intense climax. Dante Palminteri and Rosie Benton play their roles well, too. They let you see that Clark isn't the one-dimensional monster Miles was hyping him up to be and that the boy's mother Kendra might share a few scars in common (literally and figuratively) with her son. Rounding out the quintet is Lizzy DeClement, whose silent performance as the abused Lucy conveys Light My Fire's final message about the futility of revenge. In the end, nothing Miles could've done to Clark would've been enough to erase his daughter's trauma. With its emotionally rich story and excellent cast, this Independence Day drama closes out the review list with a bang.

Score: 10 out of 10 foam baseball bats.

Overall:

With the exception of Shadow, all the films on this list are very well-done features that tell stories of fathers who, for all their flaws, love their children above all else. A Father's Day and Light My Fire stand out as the most exceptional dad flicks of the bunch. Father by Law and Are We Listening? aren't far behind and the subpar Shadow at least has solid filmmaking and acting to keep it from being the deadbeat member of this movie collection. So enjoy this short film review list, check out the array of beautiful entries to Vocal's Dads Are No Joke challenge, and take a moment to appreciate the amazing fathers/father figures in your life 💖